


A Question

by xMagicalMystery



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 17:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15645729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xMagicalMystery/pseuds/xMagicalMystery
Summary: James has a question he wants Lily to ask him, and he's giving her fifteen seconds to do it. Lily/James drabble. (Originally posted on fanfiction.net on May 8, 2012)





	A Question

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on FF.net in May 2012, but it's one of the ones I still like!

It happens first on an ordinary Tuesday in Transfiguration. He looks at her at the exact same second that she looks at him. Hazel meets green, and there's a spark of something in the air. Something nameless, impossible to identify, but somehow significant regardless. It lasts only a moment, and then her cheeks flood with colour and she turns back to her notes. James Potter's lips perk up at the corners.

It happens again at breakfast the next day. Lily's eyes roam the Gryffindor table and land on him off their own accord. He looks up, as though he can feel her looking. This time, he smiles at her before she turns away, and it does funny things to her stomach.

Tonight, they're sitting in the slowly emptying common room. He looks up from his essay and catches her looking at him again. This time, he doesn't just smile at her. He picks up his books, walks across the room, and sits down across from her.

"All right, Evans?" He greets her the same way he always has.

"Hey," she says, pleasantly surprised by his company. She couldn't have stopped the smile on her face even if she wanted to.

He cuts right to the chase. "So, I have a question," he tells her, watching her face as he speaks. He fights a smile as he sees the excited anticipation she fails to hide.  _This is it,_ she's thinking. He's going to ask her out, and this time she's going to say yes.

"Go ahead." Her heart races and her stomach drops and flips and does all sorts of unhealthy things.  _This is it._

"I was just wondering… when are you going to ask me out?" he asks.

She stares blankly at him. Fighting that smile off is becoming increasingly difficult, and James' lips twitch despite his best efforts.

"I'm sorry?" she says at last.

"It's just, I  _really_  want to go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend, but I distinctly recall you threatening to chop off some valuable body parts if I asked you out again." She continues to stare blankly at him. "Fifth year, sunny day, fourth floor corridor?" he elaborates. Her cheeks flush as the memory comes back to her.

"I think it'd be safe to ignore that threat," she says, her smile returning despite her flaming cheeks.

James shakes his head, a small smirk creeping on to his face. "I'm not much of a risk taker, you see."

She's not quite sure why she doesn't just ask him. It's an easy question, and she's almost certain of his answer. Still, she stalls. "I reckon you ought to start taking risks. Good things might come out of it."

"I reckon you ought to ask me a question."

"Sure. Are you done number seven on the Potions assignment?"

"Wrong question, Evans," he snorts.

"You didn't specify. But, you could easily show me how it's done," she says with a cheeky grin.

"Nice try." He doesn't miss a beat.

He knows he could easily utter the words he's said countless times before…  _go out with me, Evans?_  He's certain her reply will be less disappointing this time, too. But something in him wants her to ask. Maybe it's pride and maybe it's boredom, he doesn't know.

"What if I don't want to ask you a question?" she tries.

"You just did."

"But that was the wrong question, Potter."

"So you do know what question you're supposed to ask?" He grins.

"What? No! I mean, yes, but that doesn't mean-"

"Just ask, Evans. It's not that hard," he says, rolling his eyes.

"But it's late, and I have work to do," she argues lamely.

"Six easy little words, seven depending on whether or not you add my name to it," James urges.

He's right. It's easy. She'll just get it over with, do them both a favour. She opens her mouth to ask... and then she panics and blurts out the first words that come to mind. "I'm allergic!"

It's James' turn to stare blankly. Lily is horrified. Her cheeks must be as red as her hair by now.

"Er… cool. To what, words? Cause you sure say a lot of useless ones," he says, looking extremely amused.

"To arrogant toe rags, actually," she shoots back, beating down her embarrassment.

"Do you know what?" he asks. Lily raises an eyebrow. "I'm tired. You have fifteen seconds to ask, and then I'm going to sleep. After that, your opportunity expires."

Her mouth drops open. "What? But-"

"Fifteen… fourteen…" James smirks, twirling a quill lazily between his fingers.

"That's ridiculous-"

"Twelve…"

"So immature-"

"Nine…"

"We're not twelve anymore-"

"Sixfivefourthree…"

"That was like one second, not four!"

"Two…"

"Will you go out with me, James?"

That shuts him up.

She's not sure which one of them is more surprised, but both of them look ridiculous with their wide eyes and sappy smiles.

James pretends to look thoughtful. "Well, I don't know. This is so unexpected! I'll have to check my schedule, talk to my-"

"Shut up, you arse," she says, unable to stop herself from laughing as she smacks his arm. James grins. He stands up and picks up his books.

"Don't wear red. I'm wearing green and I don't want us looking like Christmas," he says simply. With that, he disappears up the stairs to his dormitory.


End file.
